Andre Tomlin

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André Tomlin is an Information Scientist with 20 years experience working in evidence-based healthcare. He's worked in the NHS, for Oxford University and since 2002 as Managing Director of Minervation Ltd, a consultancy company who do clever digital stuff for charities, universities and the public sector. Most recently André has been the driving force behind the Mental Elf and the National Elf Service; an innovative digital platform that helps professionals keep up to date with simple, clear and engaging summaries of evidence-based research. André is a Trustee at the Centre for Mental Health and an Honorary Research Fellow at University College London Division of Psychiatry. He lives in Bristol, surrounded by dogs, elflings and lots of woodland!

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New TV campaign to help people notice the early warning signs and symptoms of dementia

dementia

The Department of Health and the Alzheimer’s Society have today launched a new TV advert and leaflet to encourage people to look out for the early warning signs and symptoms of dementia. Aimed at encouraging more people to seek an early diagnosis of dementia, the campaign targets the family and friends of people at risk [read the full story…]

Middle-aged mental health problems are linked to low income

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This cross sectional study uses data from the Health Survey for England to explore the relationship between poor mental health and low income. The research team from Exeter University included 94,870 adults in the study (1997-2006) which used the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess happiness, symptoms of anxiety or depression and sleep disturbance [read the full story…]

Care in the community has failed the most vulnerable, says new think tank report

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The Centre for Social Justice has published a new report on the mental health strategy entitled ‘Completing the revolution: Transforming mental health and tackling poverty’ The decision more than 30 years ago to close big mental hospitals and treat patients in the community has failed to help the most vulnerable, according to a major new [read the full story…]

Department of Health reports reduced investment in mental health services from 3 Strategic Health Authorities

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The Department of Health has published the latest annual reports on the level of investment in mental health services. The National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services provides details of the level of investment in mental health services for working age adults (aged 18-64) in England for 2010/11 and compares it with the [read the full story…]

Cannabis use reduces thalamic volume in people at risk of schizophrenia

Adult Bum Lighting a Spliff

Using cannabis can lead to a loss of brain volume in people who are at risk of developing schizophrenia, according to a study published in the November issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. The finding by researchers from the University of Edinburgh could be important in understanding more fully the link between cannabis use [read the full story…]

Mental Elf readers favour iPhone app: results from our October poll

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The autumn leaves are falling in my neck of the woods, so it’s time to say thanks to everyone who took part in last months poll, which asked if you would be interested in a mobile app of the Mental Elf to receive daily alerts on your smartphone. 71% of people who responded said that [read the full story…]

Creativity is associated with mental disorder, says new study

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New research shows people with bipolar disorder (and siblings of people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) are more likely to work in creative professions. The study, published in the November issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, lends further support to the commonly-held view that creativity is associated with mental disorder. Researchers from the Karolinska [read the full story…]

New NICE guide to commissioning mental health services

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NICE have published a new guide to help commissioners, clinicians and managers who commission services for people with common mental health disorders. Here’s the blurb from the NICE press release: Approaching the commissioning of mental health services as part of an integrated care pathway and illustrated with service models, the NICE guide for commissioners identifies [read the full story…]

Statins do not slow down the decline of Alzheimer’s disease, says randomised controlled trial

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Previous studies have suggested that statin therapy might be a useful treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. This randomised controlled trial conducted by a team of researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine set out to determine if the lipid-lowering agent simvastatin slows the progression of symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease. They recruited 406 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s [read the full story…]

Middle-aged smokers with schizophrenia are significantly more likely to die from cardiac disease

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We know from epidemiological studies that people with schizophrenia are 2-3 times more likely to smoke than the rest of the population.  We also know that schizophrenia is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease. This retrospective cohort study carried out by researchers from the University of Maryland set out to explore the impact [read the full story…]